Your K-State Game Day Itinerary

It's been almost a month since K-State has played in Bill Snyder Family Stadium in front of 50,000-plus passionate fans, and today, they're back.

"Being home and being in front of our own fans, it's nice to hear the stadium get loud when they start cheering for us," center B.J. Finney said. "Just knowing that the family is there and we're going to play as hard as we can for them, it's really nice."

While the Wildcats are set to kick off against the Baylor Bears at 2:30 p.m., in front of a nationally-televised audience on FOX, there are events all day prior to kickoff for fans to enjoy.

FOX COLLEGE SATURDAY TOUR

The day's excitement begins at 10:30 a.m., in Lot 9 on the east side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium with FOX Sports continuing its FOX COLLEGE SATURDAY TOUR in the Little Apple.

Have a great sign to display? This could be your chance to get it on the air! Fans and students are encouraged to come out, enjoy the show and display their Wildcat pride on national TV.

After the FOX COLLEGE SATURDAY TOUR, Cat Town (on the west side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium) will host a meet and greet with the 10 newest members of the 2013 K-State Athletics Hall of Fame beginning at 11:30 a.m.

The 2013 class - the first class of inductees since 2008 - will spend two hours in Cat Town before heading to the game where they will be honored during halftime of this afternoon's game.

Fans will have the opportunity to get their first glance at the 2013-14 K-State men's basketball team today as the Wildcats are holding an open scrimmage in Bramlage Coliseum from 11:30 a.m., to 12:30 p.m.

Start your engines because today is Harley Day at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Don't miss this year's 107 motorcycles take their thunderous lap around the field 10 minutes prior to kickoff.

Since 1997, the Harley Day tradition is always a favorite and even Willie Wildcat gets in on the action driving a Harley dressed in his very best motorcycle apparel. Perhaps the motorcycles bring good luck, as in its 16-year tradition the Wildcats are 11-5 in games played on Harley Day.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

After opening Big 12 play 0-2 on the road, K-State football is ready to be back in its home stadium and in front of its own fans.

"Traveling is nice because the hotels are nice, the private planes are nice but at the end of the day, there's nothing like playing at your house," wide receiver Kyle Klein said. "I know a lot of the guys are really looking forward to getting back here with our fans and just being home."

While the beginning of conference play may not have started out the way this team wanted, there is a ray of hope as it looks back to a comparable situation in K-State football history.

A decade ago, the 2003 K-State football team also dropped its first two games of Big 12 play in a strikingly similar manner.

"In 2003 we lost our first two ballgames to the same two teams, Texas and Oklahoma State, and both of them were close ballgames," head coach Bill Snyder said, "and that team was able to put it all together."

That team opened Big 12 play with a 24-20 loss at Texas followed by a 38-34 loss at Oklahoma State, and, despite the shaky start to the season, the 2003 Wildcats were able to come together and win a Big 12 Championship.

"Coach has been trying to make people realize that there's still something worth fighting for here," Finney said, "and he's absolutely right because there's something truly special that we can have even though it's not exactly what we wanted. We can still make this season something to remember for us and for K-State fans."

While looking at the past may help this team look towards its future, that 2003 team came home after its road losses to play a struggling Colorado team at home (and defeated the Buffalos 49-20) while today K-State will face an undefeated Baylor team with arguably the best offense the Wildcats have ever seen.

"We're going to have to play as a team, play as a family," Finney continued. "We're going to have to come together and we're going to have to play better than we have been playing. We're going to have to do it together."

Currently on an eight-game winning streak dating back to last season, the Bears come to Manhattan averaging a nation-best 70.5 points per game. Its offense, averaging 779.5 in total yards per game, is also leading the country while last week the Bears' 864 total yards against West Virginia set the school record.

Though the Baylor defense is also a force to be reckoned with, Snyder's plan to overcome his opponent is simple.

"A major goal that we have outside of our 16 goals is for our offense to score more points than the opponents' offense and for our defense to hold the opponent to less points than our offense scores," he said. "I know that is rather simplistic, but at the end of the day that is the statistic on the board that makes a difference."

We hope you enjoy K-State Sports Extra. We would like to hear your comments and any story ideas for future emails, so fire them our way. Contact Kelly McHugh, Mark Janssen or K-State Assistant AD for Communications Kenny Lannou.